WARRIORS SPEAK OUT . . . challenge accusers to provide evidence

Robson Sharuko in CAIRO, Egypt
THE Zimbabwe Warriors have challenged those claiming their final 2019
AFCON Group A match against the DRC, could have been compromised by a
Congolese business tycoon, to use the comprehensive security apparatus
at the hotel they were staying here to substantiate such allegations or
simply shut up.

The Warriors, whose campaign here ended in the ignominy of a shock
0-4 defeat at the hands of the Congolese last Sunday, spent the better
part of yesterday exchanging notes on their interactive media platform
where they all expressed shock at the dark and nasty turn of events.

The reports first emerged in the Madagascan media on Wednesday but,
so far, CAF have been defiant in refusing to discuss the issue and have
given DRC the green light to continue with their preparations for their
Round of 16 match against the Indian Ocean islanders in Alexandria on
Sunday.

The reports claimed the DRC were set to be thrown out of the
tournament, and also heavily fined, by CAF with wealthy Congolese
businessman, Moise Katumbi, being accused of allegedly having played the
go-between role by coercing goalkeeper, Elvis Chipezeze, to fix the
match.

That the goalminder, who only played because first-choice ‘keeper,
George Chigova, pulled out at the last-minute during warm-up with an
injury, had a horror show, at fault in three of the four goals the
Congolese scored, has provided fuel to the conspiracy theories that he
could have been part of a dirty plot.

However, the Warriors have banded behind their teammate and spent the
day yesterday exchanging notes questioning the allegations and
wondering why their names were now being dragged through the mud.

Captain Knowledge Musona told his teammates, in those exchanges, he
felt some people had always been trying to transform them into the fall
guys of this AFCON campaign and the latest developments would deflect
attention from the shortcomings of the other parties who contributed to
the challenges they faced here.

Musona even went to the extent of telling his teammates he now
believed they have always been an unwanted unit, by a constituency back
in Zimbabwe, and the success stories they have written in the last few
years, including ending 11 years of waiting for an appearance at the
AFCON finals and qualifying for two successive editions of the
tournament, delayed the mission of those desperate to tarnish their
names.

The players said it was surprising that some of them could be accused
of having been bribed by the Congolese, here in Egypt, when the same
opponents had failed to do so when the Warriors went to Kinshasa, during
the qualifiers of the same AFCON, and beat the Leopards 2-1.

The players also felt that it was ironic that Chigova was only
embraced as a hero, when he saved penalties in shoot-outs as he did as
the COSAFA Cup, and he would be viewed with suspicion once he revealed
he was injured, during warm-up on Sunday, and could not represent the
team in such shape.

Team manager, Wellington Mpandare, speaking on behalf of the Warriors
after spending the better day of yesterday in consultations with them
since the damaging allegations were published back home, said the
players were challenging those who were making the claims to
substantiate their case with solid proof.

“The players are saying they have been badly affected by what they
have been reading, especially the allegations that they might have
participated in something to shame their country and the fans whom they
believe they have represented well in this campaign,’’ said Mpandare.

“They say they are challenging those who are trumpeting this case not
to base it on hearsay but to provide concrete evidence to back their
claims or else they should refrain from dragging their reputations
through the mud.

“The players are happy that this tournament was held in Egypt, a
country where virtually everything that happens would be captured by
cameras, and are challenging those who are claiming there were some
questionable events at their team hotel, where Moise Katumbi is said to
have bribed any one of them, to go and get the CCTV footage which will
be provided by the Meridien hotel to prove that such a thing ever
happened.

“They are also disappointed that it has come to this because they
believe that they have served their country well, even when they were
not getting anything in terms of payments for their work during the
qualifiers, where they lost only one match, drew one away from home and
won against the same DRC in Kinshasa.’’

Mpandare also said that, contrary to what was being spread on social
media, he never met Katumbi when he was on this tour of duty.

“I never saw or spoke to this Katumbi guy anywhere when we were in
Egypt and that can also be confirmed, given the people who are spreading
those allegations claim it was at the team hotel, through CCTV
footage,’’ said Mpandare.

“Allegations that the team was bribed should not just be raised
without evidence to back such things because such allegations have an
effect on the players at their clubs because they lose trust and respect
and that’s the worst that can happen to any professional footballer.

“We are destroying the reputations of our stars, when they didn’t do
anything wrong, with such recklessness and, in future, don’t be
surprised when many of these boys will say we don’t want to come and
play for the national team because, when they lose, such things are said
about them.

“The coach (Sunday Chidzambwa) was brave enough to say that it was
his fault that the team lost and there were areas where he feels he can
rectify given another chance and yet we want to destroy the careers of
these boys.

“Do we ever consider that we had some injured players in our camp,
who stayed around because they wanted to provide morale to their
teammates and also be part of the history that we were chasing, and now
these players are also part of the group that is now being accused.

“Some of them have been on the verge of completing moves to some big
European clubs and this has a massive effect on their careers but, it
appears, we don’t care about them and we are just happy to paint this
group, as tainted, when they have done some amazing things for this
country.

“One of the players even announced that he would give his teammates a
financial bonus, if they beat DRC, to try and psyche them up to win the
match, which shows you that everyone wanted to do well in that match,
and now some people turn around and accuse them without any evidence to
back those claims.’’

Zimbabwe Today is an independent online newspaper that showcases all the news from Zimbabwe by Zimbabweans for Zimbabweans across the world. In the spirit of building a new Zimbabwe, we promote and support free speech, hence all the news you will read at Zimbabwe Today is uncensored, unbiased and uncontrolled. Our content is submitted by Zimbabwe community. Material, and other digital content on this website, may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or in part without prior express written permission from Zimbabwe Today.